Bergsonism and the history of analytic philosophy

Author(s)

• Vrahimis, Andreas

Bibliographic Information

Bergsonism and the history of analytic philosophy

Andreas Vrahimis

（History of analytic philosophy）

Palgrave Macmillan, c2022

Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

During the first quarter of the twentieth century, the French philosopher Henri Bergson became an international celebrity, profoundly influencing contemporary intellectual and artistic currents. While Bergsonism was fashionable, L. Susan Stebbing, Bertrand Russell, Moritz Schlick, and Rudolf Carnap launched different critical attacks against some of Bergson's views. This book examines this series of critical responses to Bergsonism early in the history of analytic philosophy. Analytic criticisms of Bergsonism were influenced by William James, who saw Bergson as an 'anti-intellectualist' ally of American Pragmatism, and Max Scheler, who saw him as a prophet of Lebensphilosophie. Some of the main analytic objections to Bergson are answered in the work of Karin Costelloe-Stephen. Analytic anti-Bergsonism accompanied the earlier refutations of idealism by Russell and Moore, and later influenced the Vienna Circle's critique of metaphysics. It eventually contributed to the formation of the view that 'analytic' philosophy is divided from its 'continental' counterpart.

Table of Contents

1 IntroductionBibliography 2 Prelude: Bergsonism and Anglophone Analytic Philosophy 2.1 Before Stardom 2.2 Bergsonism in Britain and America 2.3 Stebbing's Response to Bergson's 1911 Lectures 2.4 Russell Meets Bergson 2.5 Costelloe-Stephen's Response to Russell Bibliography 3 Henri Bergson: A Misunderstood Celebrity 3.1 Bergson's Historical Background Spiritualism in Mid-Nineteenth-Century French Philosophy 'Spiritualist Positivism' 3.2 A Biological Epistemology of Perception 3.3 Memory and Recognition 3.4 Intellect and Intuition 3.5 Philosophy of Space and Time Beyond Spencer's Evolutionary Epistemology Number, Quantity, and Space Duree 3.6 Science and Metaphysics 3.7 Language Bibliography 4 William James and the Anglophone Reception of Bergsonism 4.1 A Philosophical Friendship 4.2 The Portrait of a Maitre 4.3 Intellectualism 4.4 Bergson's Radical Empiricism? 4.5 Radical Empiricism Versus Absolute Idealism 4.6 James's Influence on Bergson's Analytic Critics Bibliography 5 'Ants, bees, and Bergson': Bertrand Russell's Polemic 5.1 Contra Anti-intellectualism 5.2 Number and Space 5.3 Zeno's Paradoxes Zeno's and Bergson's Solutions Russell's Mathematical Solution Russell's Objection to Bergson's Solution, and the Debate with Carr 5.4 Time and Memory 5.5 Perception and the Subject-Object Distinction 5.6 Russell's Later Responses to Bergson 'Jupiter sometimes nods' 'Evolutionism' and Scientific Philosophy Bergson's Place in the History of Philosophy Bibliography 6 'Analytic' and 'Synthetic' Philosophy: Karin Costelloe-Stephen's Defences of Bergson 6.1 Mereology 6.2 Recognition, Acquaintance, and the Limits of Thought 6.3 Costelloe-Stephen's Reply to Russell Space Mathematical Continua and Processes of Change 6.4 Complexes and Syntheses 6.5 Russell's Response to Costelloe-Stephen 6.6 Analytic Versus Continental 'Synthetic' Philosophy Bibliography 7 A Call for Moderation: L. Susan Stebbing's Critique of Bergson 7.1 How to Avoid Russell's Errors 7.2 Bergson's Historical Context 7.3 Bergson Versus the Pragmatists on Truth 7.4 'Anti-intellectualism' 7.5 Intuition and Argumentation 7.6 Stebbing's Objections to Bergson's Epistemology and Theory of Truth 7.7 Costelloe-Stephen's Answer to Stebbing's Objection Bibliography 8 Entr'acte: Bergson's Germanophone Reception and the Rise of Lebensphilosophie 8.1 The Philosophers' Great War 8.2 The Demise of Bergsonism 8.3 The Rise of Lebensphilosophie 8.4 The Vienna Circle's Opposition to Lebensphilosophie 8.5 Neurath's Russellian Critique of Spengler Bibliography 9 Evolutionary Epistemology: Moritz Schlick's Critique of Intuition 9.1 Anti-biologism 9.2 Schlick's Naturalised Epistemology 9.3 'Intuitive Knowledge': A Contradiction in Terms 9.4 Images and Concepts 9.5 Judgements and Coordination 9.6 Philosophy's 'Great Error' Revisited Bibliography 10 From the Critique of Intuition to Overcoming Metaphysics: Schlick's Dialogue with Carnap 10.1 Schlick on Intuition and Metaphysics 10.2 Carnap on Implicit Definitions and Structure Descriptions 10.3 Carnap's Critique of Bergson 10.4 Schlick's Answer to Carnap 10.5 Schlick's Critique of Russellian Acquaintance Bibliography 11 Different Kinds of Nothing 11.1 Carnap and Neurath Shift Their Target 11.2 Carnap on Heidegger's Pseudo-statements 11.3 Carnap's Response to Lebensphilosophie 11.4 Bergson and Carnap on Pseudo-problems About Nothing 11.5 Heidegger's Angst Versus Bergson's Disinterested Intuition 11.6 Sartre Responds to Bergson and Heidegger 11.7 Ayer Contra Sartre on Nothing and Negation Bibliography 12 Doing Without Masters: Oxford Philosophy and the Analytic-Continental Divide 12.1 Ayer Revives Russell 12.2 Ryle Against the 1953 UNESCO Report 12.3 R.M. Hare's Proposal for the Institutional Reform of Continental Philosophy 12.4 Ryle Against Continental 'Fuehrership' Bibliography 13 Conclusion Bibliography Index.

by "Nielsen BookData"

• NCID: BC13127432
• ISBN:
  • 9783030807542
• Country Code: sz
• Title Language Code: eng
• Text Language Code: eng
• Place of Publication: Cham
• Pages/Volumes: xix, 395 p.
• Size: 22 cm
• Classification:
  • DC23 : 194
• Subject Headings:
  • LCSH : Bergson, Henri, 1859-1941 -- Influence
  • LCSH : Analysis (Philosophy) -- History
• Parent Bibliography ID:
  • BA88683411